


Tough

by SincerelyGay



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Friendship, it's a lil sad at the end, not a lot of romance but some
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 14:33:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2154162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyGay/pseuds/SincerelyGay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Katherine deserves better than me, but she don’t think so. So, if she’s gonna stick with me, I’m gonna give her the best life she could ever imagine. I’m gonna take her out to Santa Fe, get a real nice house, get a job. I’m gonna marry her, Crutch, I’ll actually have a family!”</p><p>“What about us?” Crutchie asked. The hurt in his voice made Jack’s chest feel tight, “Ain’t we’s a family?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tough

Jack cared about all the Newsies. He was always worried when Crutchie wasn’t walking so good, or when Romeo was sick and couldn’t sell, or when Albert accidentally broke Specs’ glasses. He always knows what to say when someone is crying about missing their families and will always lend money to someone who can’t afford their bed for that night. He even risked going to the refuge in order to steal food and clothing for them. He’s like an older brother to each and ever one of the Newsies. So when Crutchie told them about Jack’s plans to head out to Santa Fe, they were devastated. As soon as he walked into the lodging house, they all exploded.

“You’re what?” Race shouted, standing from his bed, “when did you decide to go to Santa Fe without tellin’ us?”

Jack froze and looked at the ground, “Last night,” he whispered, refusing to look at them.

Mush took off his hat, “And when were you plannin’ on tellin’ us?”

“Were you even gonna?” Albert added, jumping from his bunk to the floor and joining Henry on his bed.

“Course I was gonna tell you’s guys,” he cleared his throat and looked up at them. They all stared back at him and he could feel himself starting to sweat slightly from nerves, “just not quite yet.”

“What about Katherine?” Romeo leaned against the bed post, “does she know you’re goin’?”

“She’s comin’ with me.”

“Can’t believe this,” Race grumbled, storming back to this bed. Too upset to climb up to his bunk, he flopped down onto Barney’s.

“When’re you leavin’?” Finch asked. He and JoJo were sitting next in the bunk next to where Romeo was standing.

“Next Thursday,” Jack crossed his arms, “I promise to come back and visit you guys.”

“Yeah, but what’re we supposed to do ‘til then, Jack?” Crutchie asked, moving to Jack’s side to look at him with wide, childish eyes, “You do realize we need you, right?”

Jack smiled and slung an arm over his shoulders, “You guys’ll get along fine.”

A deafening silence fell over the room. After a few long seconds, Sniper cleared his throat and spoke up, “I really don’t think we will, Jack,” everyone else nodded and made noises of agreement.

“Sure ya will,” He looked around, “you made it fine without me before I got here, didn’t ya?”

“The only ones who were here before you were me and Finch,” Elmer said.

“And we weren’t exactly well off,” Finch added.

“Dontcha see, Jack? We’re pretty much screwed without ya,” Barney said.

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Jack responded, taking his arm off of Crutchie and walking out of the lodging house.  
“Where’re you goin’?” Race called, “It’s near midnight!”  
Jack just kept walking, not turning back around. Who were they to try and guilt him into not leaving? And who says they can’t take care of themselves? They’re all grown up! The youngest one was Romeo, and he was near fifteen already himself! They’d all get along just fine without Jack. After all, this was his dream. They knew he’d wanted to go off to Santa Fe for a real long time, and it was finally happening! He and Katherine could get married, start a family. It was his dream come true, and they weren’t gonna take that from him. No, sir. But, what if they weren’t fine, after all? What if they really did need him? He couldn’t bear to think of one of those guys getting hurt, and him not being there to help.

He took a deep breath and kept walking. He didn’t know where he was headed, but he trusted his legs to take him somewhere. He ended up in the alley outside Medda’s theater a few minutes later. It wasn’t until then that he realized he’d just walked out at midnight in the middle of November, too upset to even grab his old jacket. He realized his teeth were chattering. Jack tried to open the door, but it was locked, so he just leaned against the wall outside, sliding to the ground. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the cold.

Why did he leave? What did he have to prove? He could be back at the lodging house, curled up in his bunk instead of the on the sidewalk. He couldn’t go back, though. If he did, he’d just be proving that he needed the Newsies as much as they needed him.

He didn’t know how much time had passed by the time Crutchie found him. He’d managed to doze off somewhat, and jumped when he heard the soft, “Jack?” as Crutchie made his way over to him.

“Crutchie?” He responded groggily, squinting, trying to make out a face in the pale moonlight, “That you?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” He sat down next to Jack, resting his crutch against the wall. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Crutchie spoke up again, “Why’re you leavin’, Jack?”

“Cause if I don’t leave now, I’m never gonna,” he looked up at the sky, “Katherine deserves better than me, but she don’t think so. So, if she’s gonna stick with me, I’m gonna give her the best life she could ever imagine. I’m gonna take her out to Santa Fe, get a real nice house, get a job. I’m gonna marry her, Crutch, I’ll actually have a family!”

“What about us?” Crutchie asked. The hurt in his voice made Jack’s chest feel tight, “Ain’t we’s a family?”

“Well,” Jack said, voice softer. He opened his mouth a few times, seeming unable to find just the right words, “We are a family. You’s like my kid brother, Crutchie. You’re my best friend in this whole wide world.”

“Then why do you want to go?” He asked. Jack slung an arm over his shoulder and pulled him closer.

“You guys are like my family, of course. Each of you’s is like a brother to me,” He cleared his throat, “But Plumber is like a whole different kind of family. I wanna marry her, have kids with her.”

Crutchie nodded slowly, “But, Jack, how’re we supposed to get along without ya?”

“I believe in you guys,” He smiled, “You’s are gonna do just fine. Hey, you’re shiverin’. Why don’t you get on back to the Lodgin’ House?”

“I’m fine,” Crutchie smiled back, “I’m tough! If you stay out here, I’m stayin’ with ya!”

“Ya see, that’s how I know you’s gonna be fine,” Jack said, using the arm that wasn’t around Crutchie to poke his best friend in the chest, “You’s guys is tough. The lot of ya, toughest guys I know. Well, maybe except for them Brooklyn Newsies. But you can do anything you put your mind to. I know that, when I go, you’re gonna do great.”

Crutchie’s smile fell a little and he looked down at his lap, “You think so?” Jack nodded, “But I’m gonna miss ya.”

“I’ll miss you too. You and Racer and Specs and Romeo and Albert and Elmer and Henry and all the guys.”

“Even JoJo?”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh as he nodded, “Yeah, even that nutball. But I’ll visit whenever I can. ‘Least once a month, got it? And I’ll write a whole lot.”

“Okay,” Crutchie sighed, “now, I know I said I’d stay out here with ya, but I can’t feel my good leg. Why don’t we head on back?”

“You go on, I’m fine out here.”

“Jack,” Crutchie demanded, “You’re gonna catch your death out here. Come on back, you’re gonna have to face the guys sooner or later.”

“You’re right,” Jack stood up and helped pull Crutchie up to his feet, “you’re a real smart kid, ya know.”

Crutchie smiled brightly, “Thanks, Jack. You’re real smart, too.”

“Nah, I’m not,” he nudged Crutchie with his elbow, “But thanks anyways.”  
\--------------------  
The next Thursday, everything was ready to go. Jack and Katherine arrived at the train station promptly at 9 o’clock, half an hour before their train was supposed to arrive. When they got to their platform, all the Newsies were waiting for them.

“You weren’t gonna leave without sayin’ goodbye, where you?” Davey said, a hand on Les’ shoulder.

“Course not,” he smiled, “I would never.”

They said their goodbyes, exchanging hugs and some classic Newsie spit-shakes. As soon as they were set to board the train, Jack pulled Crutchie aside, “remember what I said about you’s guys bein’ tough. You better take good care of yourself.”

Crutchie nodded firmly before smiling, “I will, long as you come back to visit!” Jack smiled and pulled him into a hug, “I’m gonna miss you, Jack.”

“I’ll miss you too, Crutch,” Jack said, giving him one last squeeze before picking up his and Katherine’s luggage and getting on the train, waving to everyone and shouting goodbyes.

Once they took their seat, Katherine took Jack’s hand and smiled up at him. She wiped away a tear from his cheek that he hadn’t even realized had fallen, “You know, we don’t have to go. They are your family, after all.”

“Yeah,” he kissed her lightly, “But you are, too. Those boys is tough enough to take care of each other and themselves,” He looked out the window at the group of Newsies. Of course he was gonna miss them all, but this was for the best. He’d be back to visit soon, but that didn’t stop him from nearly jumping off the train once he saw that every one of the guys, even Race, was getting a little teary.

But, above all else, he knew they’d be fine. He’s seen them storm the toughest winters, take on a whole fleet of Bulls, brave the refuge, and stand up to Pulitzer. They didn’t need him to survive, and he knew they were the toughest group of guys that there ever was or ever would be.


End file.
